1. Technical Field
This invention relates to auxiliary toilet seats and, more particularly, to a combined auxiliary toilet seat and associated carrying bag for providing a sanitary barrier between a public restroom user and a public restroom toilet seat.
2. Prior Art
A traveler, as well as others, often encounters unpleasant situations whereby it is absolutely essential to utilize an establishment's toilet facilities or restrooms and the facilities are otherwise than sanitary. To be sure, such experiences are distasteful notwithstanding the possible hazards involved concerning the transmission of communicable diseases. Blind persons and elderly persons and person of the like are especially adversely affected by such situations because of their inherent inability to be able to even see if a facility is unsanitary let alone to be able to attempt to sanitize such a facility or to prevent from being contaminated by personal contact.
Children are also at an increased risk when using public restroom facilities, seeing that they might not even be aware of the need to properly sanitize a toilet seat prior to use. Indeed, even a facility which appears to be sanitary, is not necessarily so. Immediate prior use may render unsanitary, an otherwise sanitary facility. Consequently, the use of any toilet facility away from home is attendant with unavoidable risks.
One widely used prior art attempt to overcome the above-identified problem is the use of paper toilet seat covers which are most often provided in airplanes and other high-class establishments. Typically, such paper covers are available from dispensing apparatus within close proximity of the facility to be used. One paper cover is pulled from the dispenser and applied over the permanent toilet seat. Such covers, however, do not completely solve the above-stated problem. The paper covers do not usually stay in place, and they often stick to a person's skin and do not conveniently allow for adjustment of positioning. Consequently, a person often chooses not to utilize the cover especially where the facility “appears” to be sanitary. And, when used, a certain amount of inconvenience and discomfort is still present. In addition, conventional paper covers allow urine to leak therethrough.
All of the prior art portable and foldable toilet seats known to the present inventor suffer from similar deficiencies despite their claimed advantages. Any contamination, dirt, disease, etc., present on the permanent seat is or may be transferred to the underside of the portable toilet seat which then would necessarily contaminate the portable seat. No solution is offered for the removal of such dirt or contamination. In most of the cited examples, the bottom surfaces of the portable seat fold flat against each other so that such contamination is not transferred to the top surface of the seat. Still, it is not desirable for such contamination to be present because of the nature of the same and the very real probability of a person touching the underside surface of the seat or some other object, such as the container for the seat, becoming contaminated, and such other object being touched by the individual thereby indirectly transferring the contamination to an individual.
Accordingly, a need remains for a combined auxiliary toilet seat and associated carrying bag in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an auxiliary toilet seat that is convenient and easy to use, is practical in design, and greatly increases a user's safety and sanitation. Such a compact and foldable auxiliary toilet seat can conveniently be taken wherever a person goes, to ensure that their toilet usage regiment is not interrupted because of a lack of facilities suitable for use by the child or adult. The cushioned seat effectively covers a standard toilet seat, making it safer and more sanitary for the child to use. The disposable plastic sheaths provided with the auxiliary seat advantageously provide an extra level of protection to the user, while also making it easier for a user to clean/sanitize the seat after every use. When not in, such an auxiliary toilet seat can conveniently be compactly folded and fit discreetly into it associated carrying bag.